HCL Tech signs MoU with Andhra govt to set up Rs 500 cr campus

State to allot 28 acres for centre; facility to employ 5,000 local residents in two phases

India's fourth largest IT services company HCL Technologies today signed an MoU with Andhra Pradesh government to set up its campus in Vijayawada-Amaravati region.

The company will invest Rs 500 crore in ten years in the project involving a development centre and a training facility spread over 27.86 acres to be allotted by the government.

"The objective of this MoU is to create a state-of-the-art global IT development centre, recruit local talent and mainly create an ecosystem to nourish the sector," AP government said in a statement.

The company is committed to provide employment to 5,000 local residents under two phases. In phase-1 of the project, HCL plans to invest Rs 300 crore providing employment to 3,000 people while in phase-2, which is likely to commence in 2022, Rs 200 crore will be invested, providing jobs to 2,000 locals, according to the statement.

The company will begin construction of the phase 1 center in early May, 2017 and start training programmes by July 2017, it said.

HCL proposes to develop its first centre at Kesarapalle village in Gannavaram mandal of Krishna district in a total area of 17.86 acres. The second center will come up in 10 acres in Ainavolu village of Amaravati.

Commenting on the occasion HCL founder and chairman Shiv Nadar said, "HCL has always been at the forefront of bringing new opportunities to the Indian populace. This is an innovative initiative to reach out to the local talent, refine their skills and make them future ready for IT careers."

Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said his government would extend all needed support to HCL in this endeavour.